Sur la Route

01.04.2007

a tour of artists

Emilio Lopez-Menchero, 'Torero-Torpedo', 2004. Courtesy Galerie nadja Vilenne, Luik

Download hier de route met de supporterslokalen.

MY IDEA OF A PIECE OF SCULPTURE IS A ROAD. THAT IS, A ROAD DOESN’T REVEAL ITSELF AT ANY PARTICULAR POINT OR FROM ANY PARTICULAR POINT. ROADS APPEAR AND DISAPPEAR. WE EITHER HAVE TO TRAVEL ON THEM OR BESIDE THEM. BUT WE DON’T HAVE A SINGLE POINT OF VIEW FOR A ROAD AT ALL, EXCEPT A MOVING ONE, MOVING ALONG IT.

Carl Andre, Artist’s Statement, 1970
The Tour 2007 was about 3.553,9 km. At the invitation of S.M.A.K. 17 artists- most of them expressive artists, and a few from other disciplines- did in the course of the year a part of the coming Tour de France, from the prologue in the centre of London, to the Champs-Elysées in Paris, so they could complete the whole track together. On their way, artists set down their impressions in a journal and created each an artistic contribution, which resulted from their tour. These contributions were collected in a book, that was presented on the 7th of July 2007 in S.M.A.K. From the middle of June till the middle of July there were also supporter cafés in Ghent for all participating artists-riders and where you could see the results of the tours. “Sur la route” can be considered as an ode to the lonely cyclist, on his way through the landscape.

The riding schedule, with the 17 participants:

Prologue London: Ann Veronica Janssens (Bel); London/Canterbury: Peter Delpeut (Netherlands); Dunkerque/Gent: Johan Derycke (Bel); Waregem/Compiègne: Teatske Burgerjon (Netherlands); Compiègne: Franck Bragigand (Fra); Villers-Côterets/Joigny & Chablis/Autun & Semur-en-Auxois/Bourg-en-Bresse: Frank Depoorter (Bel); Bourg-en-Bresse/Le Grand-Bornand: Stef Kamiel Carlens (Bel); Le Grand-Bornand/Tignes & Val-d’Isère/Briançon: Florian Hüttner (Germany); Tallard/Marseille: Stijn Cole; Marseille/Montpellier: Lars Ejlskov P (Den); Montpellier/Castres & Albi/Albi & Mazamet/Plateau-de-Beille: Bart Lodewijks (Netherlands); Foix/Loudenvielle-Le Louron: Joey Kötting (GB); Orthez/Gourette: Gert Robijns (Bel); Col d’Aubisque: Emilio Lopez-Menchero (Spa/Bel); Pau/Castelsarrasin & Cahors/Angoulême: Otto Berchem (USA); Cognac/Angoulême: Koen De Sutter (Bel); Marcoussis/Paris: Stief Desmet (Bel); Champs-Elysées: Emilio Lopez-Menchero (Spa/Bel)

The 17 cafés for supporters, from the 15th of June till the 13th of July 2007:
Barbier (Sint-Magrietstraat); De Geus van Gent (Kantienberg); De Karper (Kortrijksesteenweg); De Kroon (Sint-Pietersplein); Den Turk (Botermarkt); De Onzekere Tijd (Hoogpoort); De Rotonde (Kortrijksesteenweg); De Tempelier (Meerseniesstraat); Fabula Rasa (Lousbergkaai); Igor (Grote Huidevettershoek); Kuip van Gent (Korenmarkt); Magazijn (Penitentenstraat); Marimain (Walpoortstraat); Overpoortbowl (Overpoortstraat); Paganini (Sint-Pietersnieuwstraat); Spijker (Pensmarkt); ’t Vosken (Sint-Baafsplein)